Thine Light
by As The Rush Comes
Summary: "You have made me very desperate." Weapons for the Tesseract isn't the only thing S.H.I.E.L.D. is hiding. And this secret could turn the tide of the battle with Loki, but Fury's not too keen on using it. He has way too much personal investment in it, or rather, her. Loki/OC/Steve
1. Prologue

_Saviour - Lights_

**Prologue**

The last thing Nick Fury expected at two in the morning was the sound of frantic banging on his door. Whoever the person was, they were desperate to see him, and as he reluctantly gout out of bed, he absentmindedly grabbed his gun. Walking towards the door, he was prepared to threaten the person's life and order that they leave and come back when the sun was up. However, he was not ready for the sound that reached his ears through the door. It was the sound of a crying infant. Opening the door, his eyes widened when he looked upon a woman he knew from the S.H.E.I.L.D. office.

"Valerie?" He demanded, "What are you doing here? Whose child is this?"

"Nick, please, I can't explain," She held the baby out to him; "You have to take her, Nick. Please take her and protect her."

"Valerie, what's going on?" The look in her eyes was so frantic that he took the baby from her in fear that she would drop her. Once the baby was in his hands, Valerie turned to leave, "Wait!"

She stopped and turned to him, "Take care of her Nick, and please…if you must use her…please be absolutely _desperate." _

Then she was gone. As Nick stared where the woman had been, the infant girl moved slightly in his arms. Looking down, he wondered what made the child so unique that _he _would have to protect her. As he gazed in her sparkling blue eyes, he just _knew._

And for the first time in his life, Nick Fury prayed. He prayed that he would never become desperate.


	2. Chapter One

_Larger Than Life – Backstreet Boys_

**Chapter One**

_Eighteen years later_

* * *

Fury rubbed his temple as he looked at the sight before him. The brand new 2012 Ford Mustang he had just purchased was in complete shambles. The front windshield was completely missing as were two of the tires. The seats were ripped and the roof was peeled back. Sighing, he turned and looked at the culprit, the one who caused all the damage.

"For the record, I blame Phil. He wanted to go off road." She said, trying to smile innocently, "We can fix it, though, right?"

Fury stared at her for a moment before pulling out his cell phone and dialing Maria. When she picked up he gave her simple instructions, "Please bring me two Tylenol and a glass of water." Hanging up, he turned back to his daughter, "From now on, you take a S.H.I.E.L.D. car _and _a driver."

"Dad! That's not fair; this is the first car I've wrecked." She argued, "I don't want a driver anymore."

"I'm not arguing about this Shiloh, you will have a driver or you will go nowhere. You're lucky I don't take your privileges to leave here completely." He points to the Mustang, "_That _is absolutely ridiculous."

Shiloh rolled her eyes but she knew he was right, "Fine but can I drive again eventually?"

Fury sighed yet again, "We'll see."

That was enough for Shiloh. With a smile and a squeal she ran over and kissed her father's cheek before leaving the garage. Fury stared after her and wondered when he had become such a softy. Smirking to himself, he knew that it was a side only reserved for her.

If someone told him over eighteen years ago that he would have a daughter, he honestly would have shot them, but that night would forever be burned within his memory. He never saw Valerie again, and he never managed to find Shiloh's real parents. It hadn't mattered to her though, she knew she was adopted yet loved him the same. Though they had their differences, they had come to form some sort of dysfunctional family that included Maria and Phil. It was _interesting_, to say the least.

Each day, though, he was reminded of Valerie's words and what she made him promise. He had been lost as to what she meant for the first few years of having Shiloh. Then the girl turned five, and he knew that only complete and utter desperation would cause him to utilize what she could do.

As he turned to leave the garage, he took one last look at the Mustang. Shaking his head, he wondered how he had managed to survive raising a child. Luck, he smiled, it was all luck…and Maria.

Upstairs in the apartment Shiloh lived in; he found her sitting at her dining room table. She was reading a book and had earphones in, so she was completely oblivious to him. Gently tapping her on the shoulder, he grimaced as he spoke.

"I have to fly out to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base in New Mexico for a few days. Maria is going to keep an eye on you while I'm gone," He gave her a meaningful look, "I want you to be on your best behavior."

"I'm not eight, Dad. I'll be fine." She frowned at him, "I don't even understand why Maria has to stay and babysit me."

"As I recall, you put a whole in the wall the last time I left you here by yourself." He told her.

"There was a spider, and I panicked!" Fury shook his head.

"Maria will be monitoring you, end of discussion," He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I will see you in a few days."

She nodded and their eyes met, saying what they would never dare say out loud. He had far too many enemies, and though she was capable of protecting herself, he would rather be damned than have anything happen to her.

_I love you._

* * *

With her father gone, Shiloh took to lounging around the apartment instead of doing her studies like she was supposed to. True to his word, Maria checked in on her at least twice a day, much to her chagrin. She hated being treated like she was a five year old. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

Being honest with herself, she was tired of being trapped within the confines of S.H.I.E.L.D. Sure she got to go out into the world, but it was always with protection. She recalled a trip to the mall she took in which her father had snipers placed on the roofs of surrounding buildings. It was ridiculous, and she had long since learned to control her powers. She was not a danger and had been well-trained to handle danger.

Yet her father wouldn't see that. To him, she was the same little girl who completely leveled a building at age six. It had been a total accident, but Shiloh couldn't help but wonder if that was what did her in. Knowing that she would not win in an argument on this subject, she abandoned her thoughts just as there was a knock on the door.

Slowly getting off the couch, she was prepared to see Maria, but when she opened the door, she was surprised to see Phil standing there. And the look on his face told her that something had happened.

"You need to come with me, now." He told her and she didn't hesitate in complying.

As they walked down the hall to the elevator, she turned her head to him, "My Dad, is he alright?"

"Director Fury is fine, but has given me strict orders that you come to where he is." Where he was? She was going to New Mexico? When she asked Coulson, he shook his head.

"What's happened, Phil? Please tell me." Phil didn't respond though as they entered the elevator. The silence was sickening as they rode down to the garage.

A black SUV waited for them and they quickly climbed in. Phil directed them to the airport before giving Shiloh an apologetic look. She knew that he wanted to tell her what was going on, but was most likely on strict orders to be quiet. She would just have to be patient.

They arrived at the airport and hurried to the quinjet that was waiting on them. Taking a seat, Shiloh tried to relax as the jet took off down the runway. Her father was fine, Phil had said so. She was going to see him. There was no need to worry.

Phil came over to sit by her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay, Shi. We'll be there soon."

"I just wish you could tell me more. It's not often that I get whisked away on a quinjet." Shiloh chuckled and Phil smiled reassuringly.

A few hours later, they landed on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean. Taking her hand, Phil led Shiloh off the jet and onto the landing strip. There she searched frantically until she laid eyes on her father. She immediately rushed towards him and threw her arms around his neck. He lightly returned the embrace.

"I apologize for worrying you," He told me and she smiled.

"It's okay, I'm just glad you're alright." It was then that Shiloh noticed all the agents running around as though they were in DEFCON 4, "Dad, what's going on?"

"I'll explain when we get inside. Come with me." He turned and walked away, with her hot on his heels.

Inside the base, Fury began to explain that they were facing a potential alien invasion. A man named Loki had stolen a cube called the Tesseract (which she vaguely knew about) and had taken two of S.H.I.E.L.D's best agents under his control.

"So what are we going to do to stop him?" Shiloh asked and Fury stopped walking.

"I am currently working on that," He turned to face her, "_You, _however, are here to be under protection."

Shiloh frowned, "I can help Dad, and you know I can."

"We are not going to have this argument, Shi. I will not allow you to fight. It is not necessary." Shiloh shook her head fiercely.

"You're facing a potential alien invasion and you're saying that my help is not _necessary_? That's crap and you know it!" Her voice had raised a few octaves and had attracted the attention of some agents. A harsh glare from Fury made them keep working though.

"We are not going to have this discussion, you will not fight and that is final. If you try to go against that, I will lock you up in a holding room." He was deadly serious and Shiloh knew it. She glared back defiantly, though.

"Keep being stubborn, then." And with that, she turned and walked away.

As he watched her storm off, Fury knew that his words had hurt her. However, now was not the time to be a parent, but rather it was time to be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The planet was being threatened and in order to defend it, he would have to pull an old strategy and dust it off.

"Agent Coulson, get the Black Widow on the phone. I need her to pay a visit to the good doctor in India." He said into his headset, "Also, find Rogers for me."

"_Yes sir._"

* * *

As he walked through the base, he eventually found Shiloh standing in front of one of the large windows. Though he wanted to go to her, he had other things to do first. They would have to talk later.

He couldn't shake what she had said earlier, though. And he once again recalled what Valerie had made him promise all those years ago.

He wasn't desperate, though. Not yet.


	3. Chapter Two

_Crazy – Alanis Morissette_

**Chapter Two**

Steve Rogers was angry, though he would never admit it out loud. As his fist repeatedly made contact with the punching bag, memories flashed through his head. His family, his friends, and Peggy were all gone and he had no way of joining them. Not without taking his own life. With this thought, he channeled his strength into one more punch, knocking the punching bag to the ground.

Sighing, he walked over to the line of punching bags and picked one up. Hooking it up, he began to furiously punch it, however the sight of someone in the doorway made him stop.

"Captain Rogers," It was Nick Fury and by the looks of it, he didn't seem too happy.

"Are you here with a mission, sir? Trying to get me back into the world?"

"Trying to save it," Fury conceded as he tossed Steve a file, "A man named Loki is trying to use the Tesseract to take over the world. I'm pulling together a team of extraordinary people like you to stop it."

"With all due respect sir, are you sure I'm the right man for the job?" Steve frowned, "When I went under, the world was at war. I wake up and they say we've won."

"The world has changed, Steve."

"At this point, I doubt anything could surprise me." Fury smirked at this.

"Ten bucks says you're wrong about that, but think about it. I'll be sending a car for you in the morning." Steve looked down at the file once more before grabbing his punching bag; he was going to need it. As he walked past, Fury asked him if there was anything they needed to know on the Tesseract.

"You should've left it in the ocean."

The next morning, true to Fury's word, there was a car waiting on him. With a heavy sigh, Steve opened the door and climbed inside. The driver did not speak to him, but he wasn't bothered by it. He would rather be left alone to his thoughts.

* * *

After visiting Rogers, Fury arrived back on the aircraft carrier and was greeted with the news that Natasha Romanoff had successfully recruited Dr. Banner. He ordered Maria to immediately set the doctor to work on finding the Tesseract. In the meantime, he was due to speak to the World Security Council.

As he made his way to where the Council convened, he caught a glimpse of Shiloh. She was walking with Maria and they seemed to be in deep conversation about something, and he knew right away that that wasn't a good thing.

"Ladies," He called to them and they froze at the sound of his voice, "What's the latest gossip?"

Shiloh rolled her eyes before turning and walking in the other direction. Maria, however, approached Fury, "She wants in, sir; although I'm sure you already knew that."

Fury couldn't help but to be somewhat impressed by the fact that his daughter was so adamant on helping. He had managed to raise her right, but he still had his qualms on allowing her to fight. Yes, she had admirable control over her abilities and could easily be considered a threat, but the idea of sending her out didn't sit well with him.

"If I may be frank sir," Maria smiled softly, "Fathers are supposed to be protective."

"Get her a gun, Agent Hill and let her do some target practice. I will talk to her after I've seen the Council." Maria nodded as she watched Director Fury walk off.

She knew he worried for Shiloh, and he tried to hide it because he was supposed to be a S.H.I.E.L.D agent first. She hoped her words would convince him that they did need Shiloh. She had seen firsthand what Loki could do and knew that Fury's daughter was the only one who could present a strong enough threat to him.

Retracing her steps, Maria found Shiloh with Phil and noticed they both looked extremely giddy. Raising an eyebrow, she approached the younger girl and let her know her father's orders. At the idea of training, Shiloh grinned.

"I don't know what you said Maria, but thanks!" Maria smiled yet again, quickly recalling when she had first met the daughter of Director Fury.

_It had been five years ago, Maria Hill was just starting out at S.H.I.E.L.D. She was terrified, to say the least, but Nick Fury had decided that she was someone he needed. As she followed behind him, he explained that he had recruited her for a special assignment. _

"_This is to be kept secret, Hill. If word gets around about what I am about to show you, I will personally see to it that your life is made a living Hell." Her heart jolted at his words as they reached a stop in front of a large metal door._

_Giving her one more threatening look, Fury opened the door and led her inside. Maria's eyes widened when she realized that they weren't in some top-secret training room. They were inside of a bedroom that clearly belonged to a teenage girl. _

"_Shiloh!" Fury called and out of what seemed to be a bathroom, a girl no older than thirteen appeared. She grinned excitedly when she saw Fury and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him in a hug. Maria's jaw nearly dropped when Fury returned the gesture._

"_How was California? Please tell me that you brought me a souvenir." Fury chuckled as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a silver charm bracelet with starfish charms, "Oh it's pretty! Thank you Daddy!"_

_The world came to a screeching halt for Maria as the girl's words sank in. Fury had a _daughter_? It was clear now that keeping watch over Shiloh was her special assignment. Somehow, Maria wasn't looking forward to being a glorified babysitter. _

"_This is Shiloh, Agent Hill, and you've probably figured out that you're to watch over her. You will oversee her training when I am not here. You will make sure she keeps up with her studies and behaves like a young lady should," He looked pointedly at Shiloh as he said this, "And most importantly, you will protect her."_

"_Yes sir," Maria agreed. _

"_I'm flying out of Russia for a few days to see a colleague of mine. I expect you girls to get along and try to have some fun." He gave Shiloh's shoulder a slight squeeze and Maria watched in wonder as their eyes met and they silently communicated their goodbyes. _

_As he turned to leave the room, he stopped in front of Maria, "This is more than just a babysitting job. She needs a sister, Agent Hill. That's all I ask." _

_Then he was gone._

* * *

It had only been two days and Shiloh was already sick of being cooped up on the carrier. She had explored every inch of the place and though her gun lessons with Maria took her mind off of things, they were really just redundant. She knew how to shoot a gun, was an expert in three different types of martial arts, and was just plain bored at this point.

Walking through the base, she noticed there was an excitement among the agents. Listening to the whispers she heard things like "Black Widow," "Captain America," and "The Hulk." She knew her father was calling on people to help them with the invasion, and wondered if they had already arrived.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't register the person walking in front of her until she ran into them. Her arm shot out and grabbed a rail and she quickly balanced herself before she could actually fall backwards. Whatever she had hit was built like a wall of bricks.

"Are you alright?" She heard and shaking her head, she looked up to the person she had run into.

"I'm fine; trust me when I say that I've been through worse." A smirk graced her features as she sized up the man in front of her. Just like she thought, he was really built and _very _good looking.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, ma'am." The slight Southern drawl caused her ears to perk up and her smirk turned into a full-fledged grin when she realized who she was talking to.

"You're Steve Rogers," He nodded and suddenly seemed very nervous, "I've heard of you. S.H.I.E.L.D pulled you out of the ocean a few months ago."

"Yes ma'am, they did." Why was he so nervous? Shiloh wondered.

"And I assume you're here to help with our invasion problem?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well, good luck with that. I'll be rooting for you." As she turned to leave, she made a mental note to peruse through her father's files later. She knew vaguely of the Avengers Initiative, but never thought it would actually be put to use. That no longer seemed to be the case.

* * *

Steve couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl as she walked away. He had always been nervous around women, but seemed to be even more so around her. He couldn't figure out why that was but knew that there was something different about her.

He didn't have much more time to think on it, though, because an alarm began to blare throughout the carrier. Moving quickly, Steve looked around for either Agent Hill or Director Fury. When he found the latter, he approached him.

"Loki has been spotted, you are to go with Agent Romanoff and bring him in. Your suit is already on the quinjet. Do not fail." Steve nodded and hurried toward the hangar.

As he made his way there, he encountered the girl once again. She gave him a small smile as she passed him. Briefly entranced, he stopped and watched as she approached Director Fury. They began to have a heated discussion and Steve looked on as Fury gritted his teeth and seemed to agree to something. His curiosity would have to wait.

He had a job to do.


	4. Chapter Three

_All the Right Moves – One Republic_

**Chapter Three**

"Come with me," Shiloh looked away from the computer she had been staring so intently at and her eyes met those of Phil, "I might lose my job for this, but I need you to come with me now."

"What's going on, Phil?" Phil didn't answer her as he led her down to the hangar. She had just been there a few minutes before, resulting in an argument with her father. She demanded that she go with Rogers and Natasha, but had refused. It took a lot of convincing, but she managed to get him to agree that she could help if things went south.

"I held Natasha and Steve up," Phil finally explained as they approached a quinjet. Before stepping inside, he turned to her, "You're going with them."

"Phil, you know he's not going to allow that." She warned but Phil shook his head.

"They need you, and Fury knows that. He's letting his emotions cloud his judgment. Get on that plan, Shi. There's a suit waiting for you."

Shiloh didn't need any more persuasion. She rushed onto the plane just as Natasha began to fire it up. Looking out the window, she saw Phil standing there as her father approached him. Closing her eyes, she hoped that her father would understand why she was doing this. She couldn't just sit back and let everyone protect her. Thankfully, Phil understood that.

"Miss, you're going to want to suit up." The voice of Steve Rogers took her out of the trance she'd been in.

Shiloh nodded and headed towards the back of the jet to get some semblance of privacy. Along with the suit, Shiloh noticed a small note written by Phil.

_It's flame resistant, so don't worry. – Phil_

She grinned as she put on the spandex suit, designed much like Maria's except her was white and in place of the S.H.I.E.L.D logo was a silver, flaming 'S.'

Returning to the cockpit of the jet, Shiloh took a seat next to Rogers.

"I didn't know you were an Avenger," Natasha said as she directed the plane, "From what I hear, that's the last thing Fury wanted."

Of course, Shiloh smirked; Natasha Romanoff would know who she truly was, "To be honest, I'll probably be thrown into a holding cell after this. I just get tired of sitting around, though, so Fury can suck it."

Steve's ears perked up at this as he looked over at the girl he had run into earlier. She was doing this against Fury's orders? She didn't even seem afraid and he wondered if she had some type of personal connection to Fury. Perhaps she was an old friend of his, except she didn't look a day older than nineteen.

"Well, I'm certainly glad to have you. We could use the extra fire power." The conversation ended there as Natasha switched on the quinjet's turbo boosters. Time was not on their side.

The scene before them when they arrived was a grave one, as Steve gazed at all the people kneeling on the ground. Nodding to Natasha and the other girl, he stood to jump from the jet.

"Shiloh, go with him. He's going to need your help." He heard Natasha say as he leapt from the jet. The girl, Shiloh followed suit and landed beside him.

"That's Loki!" She exclaimed as their eyes landed on the man clad in armor who stood above the kneeling civilians. He was about to kill an old man when Steve leapt in front of him and deflected the blast with his shield.

With Loki distracted, Shiloh began to usher the civilians to safety. They thanked her as they passed and she kept a trained eye on the Asgardian. Her presence did not go unnoticed by him. Sending a quick blast in Steve's direction, he managed to temporarily knock the captain out of the way.

"Well, what do we have here?" His voice was silky smooth with the barest hint of seduction. Shiloh, however, wasn't falling for it. She didn't speak a word.

"A silent one, are you? I say, I was not prepared to face someone so…unique. Yes, I can feel the power radiating off of you. Why don't you show it to me?" He raised his scepter and fired off several blasts at her.

Quickly dodging them, Shiloh signaled Natasha to bring the jet as she made her way to Steve.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Been better, but we need to stop him. _Now._" They stood and faced Loki and Steve nudged her, "I'm not exactly sure what you can do, but it would helpful if you did it right about now."

"You're going to want to step away then, Captain. Keep Loki distracted." Shiloh told him.

Once Steve was a good distance away, keeping Loki at bay, Shiloh closed her eyes. Breathing deeply, she searched deep inside herself for the mental vault she had spent years building. Once she found it, she concentrated and began to slowly pull it open. As the door inched wider and wider, energy began to pulsate through her. Tingles were felt all over her body and she found herself grinning at the feeling.

For a brief moment, Loki and Steve stopped their tussle and looked at the girl who was summoning her power. Time paused for what seemed like eternity, only to resume when she opened her now wide and sightless eyes. Steve quickly ducked out of the way as a white fire engulfed her before being channeled through her hands into a blast aimed straight at Loki.

The Asgardian flew backwards when the blast hit him and he lay there, completely astonished. Immediately, his mind began to turn as ideas of how he could harness this power for himself began to form.

Shiloh prepared to deliver yet another blast when the sound of AC/DC filled the air. The energy faded and her eyes returned to normal as Iron Man landed in between her and Loki.

"Make a move, Reindeer Games."

* * *

Back on the jet, with Loki in tow, Shiloh collapsed in her seat. She was very aware of the fact that Loki was watching her and did her best to ignore it. The look in his eyes inspired the barest hint of fear in her.

"That was pretty amazing, what you did out there." Steve sat down beside her and she nodded, feeling heat rise to her cheeks, "Do you mind telling me what exactly it was?"

"Do you know about the law of energy conservation? Energy is everywhere and I channel it into a form that can be used as a weapon, what you saw. It looks like white fire but it's really billions and billions of molecules that have taken on a visible state."

"It certainly came in handy, and you should make a good addition to the team." His kind words sent tingles down her spine.

"It's what I was trained for, to be honest. It's really nothing special." There was a sudden clap of thunder and the group heard Loki gasp.

"What, you're afraid of thunder?" Tony Stark laughed.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

"What do you mean –" There was a sudden thud on the roof of the plane, causing it to shake. Instinctually, Shiloh grabbed on to the nearest thing for support, which happened to be Steve's arm. Mumbling an apology, she tried to stand but was quickly knocked back down when a large figure blew into the cockpit of the plane and took Loki.

"He just took our only way of finding the Tesseract!" Natasha told them. Steve rushed over to Tony and briefly stopped him from leaving the jet.

"You can't just go out there. We need a plan of attack."

"I have a plan," Tony smirked, "Attack!"

Steve and Shiloh watched as Tony leapt from jet and flew after the Asgardian and his kidnapper. Knowing that things could only go downhill, Steve grabbed two parachutes and tossed one to Shiloh.

"What are you expecting to do, Captain? These guys are stuff from legends, they're gods." Natasha tried to reason with them.

"There's only one God, ma'am, and he doesn't try like that." He looked at Shiloh, "Let's go."

Getting a running start, the jumped from the plane and dropped to the ground below. Shiloh's heart went into overdrive at the rush. Sure, she may be grounded for life after all this is over, but she was glad she got the chance to be in one some action.

Once they were on the ground, it wasn't too hard to figure out that Tony was squaring off with the mysterious Asgardian, who Shiloh knew was Thor, Loki's brother.

"Find Loki, I'll go stop the fighting." Steve ordered and they went in separate directions.

Scanning her surroundings, Shiloh looked up to see the light of the moon gleaming off of something. Realizing it was Loki's armor, she jogged towards the base of the cliff she was on. Climbing up the rock, she reached the top of the cliff and Loki.

"Ah, the silent one who has so much power," Loki smirked, "Enjoying your field trip, _Shiloh_?"

"How do you know my name?"

"She speaks!" His tone was taunting but the seduction was still there. It chilled Shiloh to the bone, "I know about every one of you." It was a bluff and she knew it. He had heard Captain America say her name. Her father had taught her to spot lies from a mile away, and the training was paying off.

"Piss off, Loki." She snapped before grabbing his arms and locking his wrists in the cuffs she had brought with her. As the lock clicked, there was a loud explosion and both looked out to see that a portion of the forest had been completely leveled.

Shiloh could vaguely make out three figures as she signaled for Natasha yet again. Hopefully, she thought, they had gotten their grudge match out of their systems.

With Loki in handcuffs, the group boarded the jet and flew back to the helicarrier.

* * *

Once they had arrived, Shiloh silently gulped as she now had to face her father. Stepping off of the jet, her eyes immediately found his and she couldn't help but look away. Stopping in front of him, she watched as Loki was led away by S.H.I.E.L.D personnel. Her father debriefed the Avengers and sent them away before finally turning to Shiloh.

"Well," She sighed, "Lay it on me."

"I saw the footage," He gestured for her to follow him as he began to walk back into the base, "You held your own out there."

Shiloh gaped; this was certainly not what she was expecting, "You're not mad."

"I was, especially when Coulson told me that you threatened him so that you could leave," Of course he would do that to save his own skin, Shiloh smirked, what a traitor, "But maybe I was wrong, perhaps you are necessary in this fight."

This time Shiloh stopped walking completely, "You're _lying_. I know you are, because we've been having this argument for days and suddenly, you're okay with me fighting. That's complete crap, Dad, and you know it."

Fury met her intense gaze and shook his head, "I made a promise to someone a long time ago that I would only use your powers if there was such a time that called for it. I do not like it, Shiloh, and you know how I have strived to keep you away from all of this, but such a time has come. And I need you."

Shiloh nodded, knowing the gravity of the situation. She would get to help fight, and she made a promise to herself that she would do her absolute best.

"I won't let you down, Dad. You have my word."

Fury nodded, "Go join the others, you're an Avenger now. You should know the people you're fighting alongside."

"Yes sir." He stared after her as she walked away and part of him could only see the little girl she had been. Yet he knew that she was no longer that little girl, but a confident young woman. As he continued his journey to Loki's holding cell, he recalled Maria's words.

_Fathers are supposed to be protective._

* * *

"How desperate are that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?" Loki taunted from within his cell. Fury, recalling the word of Valerie one last time, turned his head to look in the cameras watching them. He knew Shiloh was there.

"You have threatened my planet with war," He snapped, "You have made me _very _desperate."


	5. Chapter Four

_Days Go By – Dirty Vegas_

**Chapter Four**

It was later that night that Shiloh found she was unable to sleep. After lying in bed for hours, she sighed and got up. Grabbing a pair of sweats, she got dressed and left her room. Out in the hall, she began to absentmindedly walk through the helicarrier. The floor was cold beneath her bare feet, but she didn't care. Turning a corner, she stopped herself when she realized the direction she was walking in.

She was heading straight for Loki's holding cell.

Shaking her head, she snapped out of whatever trance she had been in. Turning to go back to her room, she jolted at the sight of Steve.

"Sorry," He whispered as he stepped into the light of the hall, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright; I'm so out of it right now. I should have realized you were there." She leaned against the wall and rubbed her temple.

"Anything I can do to help?" His eyes met hers and she wondered if she should tell him about where she had been headed. She had stopped herself, though, so why did it matter?

"I…" The words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't say them, "I-I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Steve"

Steve raised an eyebrow at her, but decided not to press. If she wanted to talk, then she would talk, "Good night, Shiloh."

The way he said her name made heat rise to her cheeks. When he was gone, she rolled her eyes at her ridiculousness. The last thing she needed was a crush on her teammate.

Pushing away from the wall, she made to go back to her room, but something stopped her. It was as though a barely silent voice was calling out to her. Curiosity waged war with logic as Shiloh debated resuming her original course. Taking a few cautious steps toward the containment area, she gave in to curiosity and headed toward the holding cell.

Moving silently, she slipped through the door to the containment area and headed down the hall to where Loki was being held. She knew the cameras were watching her so she acted as though she had a right to be there. No one would question her; she was Fury's daughter after all.

Upon her entrance, the Asgardian looked up and his eyes glinted at the sight of her. Fear sparked in Shiloh and she wondered what was wrong with her. She shouldn't be here.

"No one knows you're here," He stated, "You've sought me out on your own. Why is that?"

Shiloh didn't speak, but not out of defiance. She didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know how to answer his question. Why had she come down here?

"Still ever the silent one, hmm? What must I do to get you to speak to me?" He stood and walked across the holding cell so that they were closer to each other, "You're not like others, there's something more _attractive _about you."

His words were spoken like a melody and Shiloh could hear the seduction in them. Involuntarily, she took a step closer to him. Realizing what she had done, she tried to step back but her eyes locked with Loki's and she found herself unable to move.

"Speak to me, Shiloh, I beg of you." There was pleading in his voice but Shiloh knew it was fake, "I'm already a prisoner here, and must you make me suffer more?

"You're so full of crap," She spat earning a triumphant grin from Loki, "I only came down here to get some answers. Why are you here, Loki?"

Loki didn't answer and Shiloh knew that he was trying to use her own tactics against her. He wasn't going to answer her, in the hopes that she would react. Well played, she thought, but her father was always an expert in giving her a taste of her own medicine.

"Honestly, I don't care why you're here; just know that we're going to stop you. We will find the Tesseract and by the end of it, I'll have you wishing you were dead." She turned to walk away but a light tap on the glass stopped her.

"_You'll_ have me wishing I was dead? What about the others, don't they get a say in this?" Divide and conquer, she realized. That was his game.

"Good night, Loki." Shiloh finished and walked to the door.

"You'll be back, don't worry," She tried to ignore him but there was this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her he was right.

She would be back, because she couldn't shake this pull she had towards him. Inwardly groaning, she decided she really needed to get some sleep.

The next morning found the Avengers meeting in one of the Helicarrier's conference room. They were all gathered around the table and were discussing their current progress with Loki and the Tesseract. While Tony and Steve argued over what the next they should take was, Fury noticed his daughter looked a little worse for wear.

"Rough night, Shiloh?" His tone was brusque, but she knew it was because they planned to keep their connection a secret, "If your teammates don't mind, I'd like to speak with you, _outside._"

"Oooh, someone's in trouble." Tony grinned childishly. Shiloh ignored him as she stood and follow Fury out into the hall. Once they were away from everyone, he gave her a hard look.

"I noticed your late night activities on the security footage last night," Shiloh looked away in guilt, "You had no business being in that room with him."

"I figured I would try to get some answers, since he's not giving you any." Fury raised an eyebrow at this, "He seems a little too interested in me, though. It creeps me out."

"We can use that to our advantage, Shiloh." She knew he would reach that conclusion and knew there was no use in arguing.

"I'll see what I can do."

Unbeknownst to the two talking outside of the conference room, the rest of the Avengers had gone silent in an effort to eavesdrop on their conversation. Steve, though not too keen on spying, couldn't help but give in to his curiosity as he and Tony leaned next to the door.

He had noticed it from the moment he met her that she knew more than she was letting on. She also had some sort of connection with Fury.

"Do you think Fury's a sugar daddy?" Tony asked suddenly causing everyone in the room to choke on their laughter, with the exception of Steve and Thor.

"I do not believe he is made of sugar, no." Thor answer, making it even harder for the group to stay quiet.

"Not what I meant, big guy. Word on the street around here, though, is that Fury doesn't want her to fight. There obviously something between them." Tony pulled Steve away from the door as the two returned to the conference room.

As they entered, the rest of the group tried to look as though they had still been throwing around theories. Fury gave them all one last meaningful look before leaving them to their own devices. Once he was gone, Tony began to explain to Bruce about using JARVIS to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D's systems.

"Think about it, they have to be hiding something." His gaze fell on Shiloh but she wasn't paying any attention.

Her mind was occupied with planning a night with Loki, as per her father's orders.

* * *

Nervously running her hands through her hair, Shiloh waited until the clock struck midnight before getting up and heading to the containment area. Much like she had done the night before, she walked through the halls as though she were doing nothing wrong. Technically, she wasn't.

"I knew you'd come to see me again." Loki smirked when she walked through the door.

"I was hoping you would be more cooperative this time, and give me some answers. Where's the Tesseract?" She knew he wouldn't answer right away. Both she and Natasha had figured out that he liked to play mind games.

When he didn't answer, Shiloh walked over to the chair near the cell and took a seat, "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Humor me, please." Loki taunted.

Shiloh chuckled, "I think Captain America has got the best arms I've ever seen. Can you imagine getting a hug from that guy? I bet it'd be amazing."

"This is your interrogation tactic? Bore me to death with mindless teenage drive?" Loki demanded.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't have a crush on him, but hey I'm not blind. I know when someone is attractive." She glances at him and smirks, "Much like you think me to be attractive?"

Loki slowly approached her and Shiloh felt the hair rise on the back of her neck. She was ready for anything as she stood and placed a hand on the glass. Their eyes locked and her breathing became shallow as Loki closed in on her. The glass separating them didn't seem to be enough.

"You're a smart girl, but I'm afraid I can't be so easily persuaded." He chuckled.

"Not even if I promised to free you?"

"And why would you do that?"

"I'm not going to lie to you Loki," She sighed, "I'm drawn to you and if you know anything about me, it's that I'm trapped here. I owe Fury a debt that I could never hope to repay, and he uses it to keep me here."

"You're lying, girl, I am the god of mischief. I would know."

"It sounds more like trust issues to me, but don't take my word for it. Besides, I know that being here is a part of your plan."

"You do, hmm?"

"Of all of us, you're the only one who wants to be here. Whatever your game is Loki, I'm on to it. I'll see you later."

As Shiloh turned to leave, Loki called out to her, "Perhaps I'll take you with me, if your circumstances are truly as they say."

"I look forward to it."


	6. Chapter Five

_Hanging On – Ellie Goulding_

**Chapter Five**

"How many more times will you come to me?"

"When you start answering my questions, maybe you won't see me as much anymore."

"Then why would I answer your questions?"

"You like seeing me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

* * *

Shiloh was walking through the helicarrier, running a towel through her hair as she passed by several agents. Stopping to wrap the towel around her hair, she turned the corner and found her father speaking with Maria. Approaching them, she stood with her arms crossed until he noticed her.

"He's not going to talk, at least, not if we're using the direct approach." She informed him.

Fury frowned, "Then try a different approach, ever think of that?"

He turned and began walking off, but Shiloh was about to be deterred. Practically nipping at his heels, she kept speaking, "Send Natasha in, she's the best at getting answers. You know that."

"Loki hasn't taken a special interest in Natasha, though. He's interested in you."

"You're putting me in a very dangerous position, _Director _Fury. It's pretty funny, actually." He stopped walking then and sighed.

"Try one more time, and if you get nothing, then I'll send Natasha in." Shiloh nodded.

Honestly, she was just as good at getting answers as Natasha, but her interrogation sessions were now turning into flirting sessions and she wasn't comfortable with that. Loki was the enemy, and if she sympathized with him, part of his plan would be accomplished. She knew he wanted her power, as many men had done so before. It was why Nick Fury made it is personal mission in life to hide her away.

She would be much more than dangerous in the wrong hands. She'd be nearly unstoppable.

* * *

"Why are you grinning like that? I think these visits are boosting your ego a little too much. You're still a prisoner here."

"Aren't you as well, my dear?"

"One of the many things we have in common, unfortunately."

"Is this what Midgardians call playing 'hard-to-get'? It's rather amusing."

"You did not just go there, that's not even funny."

"Then why are you giggling?"

* * *

After her conversation with her father, Shiloh headed to where the rest of the Avengers were, in Dr. Banner's lab. Arriving there, she noticed that their voices suddenly went hushed, making her feel awkward. Looking around the room, she noticed Steve giving her an apologetic look. They had been talking about her.

"Well then," She smiled sadly, "I know when I'm not wanted."

Turning on her heel, she left the lab and headed down the hall back to her living quarters. She was unlocking her door when she heard heavy footfalls. Looking up, she saw Steve heading towards her. Leaning against the door frame, she let him approach her.

"I don't know what you heard but-" He started but Shiloh put her hand up, silencing him.

"I didn't hear anything, but I've been to modern day high school. I know when I've been talked about." She opened the door, "I know none of you wants to be here, but we do have a planet to save. So be a good Captain and go tell your teammates to stop gossiping like schoolgirls and focus on finding the Tesseract."

"Shiloh, please…" He sighed, "It's just…we know you're hiding something and Tony swears that he has to know everyone's secrets. I've been trying to talk him out of it but he won't let it go and neither can I. You have your right to privacy but we're a team, Shiloh. Secrets aren't going to help any of us."

Shiloh swallowed and frowned, because she knew he was right. They would look at her differently, though if they knew who she really was. She could imagine the betrayal they'd feel, and it made her sick. She didn't want that.

"I don't have any secrets sir, none worth sharing anyway." Except she did, and Steve wasn't about to let her off easy.

"What about the late night visits to see Loki?" Her blood instantly ran cold at his words, "No one else but me knows, but you're playing with some serious fire."

"I'm under orders, Captain," She wanted so badly to hide from his piercing gaze, "Straight from Director Fury himself."

Their eyes locked as he looked to challenge her, but could find no hint of deception. If she was lying, she was really good at it. He also couldn't shake the odd feeling he got when she called him 'Captain.' He liked it when she called him by his civilian name, though he couldn't figure out why.

"Fine…" He sighed, "Just be careful when you're around him. Please."

The last word sounded as though he was pleading with her to no get hurt, and it sent the same tingles she had felt the first time she spoke to him running down her spine. Softening a little at his concern, Shiloh let out a heavy sigh.

"Honestly, I've gone to Fury about taking me off Loki duty." She quietly confessed, "I don't like how I feel after I've talked to him."

"And how do you feel after you've seen him?" Steve pressed, hoping to get her to open up just a little more.

"Like I need one heck of a shower."

They both could barely contain their laughter and Shiloh felt glad that she had opened up some to him. He wasn't a bad guy; he was just dealt a bad hand. He was seventy years out of time and was being forced to assimilate to a world he could barely understand. Add that to the fact that all of his friends and relatives were most likely dead.

Yet, he was still what Shiloh considered to be an officer and a gentleman.

"How about I go with you next time?" He tries and Shiloh thinks about it for a few moments.

"I really doubt he'll talk then." Steve's presence would make her feel much better but she'd get nothing from Loki, "Thanks for the suggestion though. If you don't mind, I really want to take a nap."

"Well, if you need me, you know where to find me," He watched as she entered her room, "Shiloh? I'm really sorry, again, about earlier."

"It's alright, Steve. I can handle a little gossip." She bid him goodbye as she closed her door. Steve couldn't help but smile.

She'd called him Steve.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You have this ridiculous smile on your face, like a girl in love."

"I do? I didn't notice."

* * *

The next time Shiloh walked into Dr. Banner's lab, later that evening, she ignored the fact that the room suddenly fell silent yet again. Walking over to an empty lab table, she hopped up onto it and sat there, making it known that she was not going anywhere.

"So, did you find anything interesting on S.H.I.E.L.D, Tony? Bruce?"

Tony whipped around her to look at her and flashed a mischievous smirk, "Now why would I tell you?" Bruce didn't address her at all, shooting her an apologetic look for Tony's outburst.

"Oh, I get it," She glanced around the room, being sure to meet the gaze of everyone there, "You don't like me. Who I am kidding, you don't like each other! So what? I have three words for you: Get over it. We're a team and that's not changing anytime soon, unless you want to chicken out and quit. You can, but believe me when I say that I'll be blasting you all over Twitter and Facebook if you do."

Once she was finished with her 'speech,' Shiloh got off the table and walked out of the lab, high fiving Steve as she passed. Thinking that she could no longer hear him, Tony looked around at everyone.

"She's way out of Fury's league; no way could they be dating."

Shiloh rolled her eyes and kept walking. She could deal with Tony Stark later.

* * *

"This is my last night with you, by the way. I've been reassigned."

"Pity, you were such great company."

"Do you think you'll tell me anything tonight?"

"I'm afraid History has to repeat itself."

"I figured you would say that."

* * *

"Fury informed me that you were looking for me." Natasha stood in the doorway of Shiloh's quarter with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, "What is it?"

Shiloh grimaced, "Fury's been having me interrogate Loki these last couple of days. Needless to say, it is not my forte."

"So you're asking me for help?"

"No, I'm asking you to get the job done." Their eyes locked and Natasha mulled over the request, "I'm asking you as a teammate, nothing more than that. I'm not a big fan of throwing my wait around."

Natasha smirked at this, since she was the only one on the team who knew who Shiloh really was. She had been pleasantly surprised when the girl had gotten onto the plane when they first tracked down Loki. Yet, she knew sooner or later, Fury would have called on her to help them. Her power was far too great to just be wasted by not being used.

"Alright, I'll do it." Natasha turned to leave but Shiloh stopped her, placing a cautious hand onto the assassin's shoulder.

"Thanks Nat," Shiloh smiled sadly, "He'll tell you about Barton. I know it."

Natasha didn't say anything more as she moved from the girl's grasp and disappeared down the hall.

* * *

"Do you remember my promise?"

"You made me a promise? I'm afraid I don't recall."

"Yes you do, don't act insolent with me girl."

"You told me you would take me with you. I said I would go."

"Yes you will, either way."

"Oh now you're being cryptic, that's just great."

* * *

Shiloh sighed heavily as she stood outside of the room in which Loki was being held. This was it, her last try to get something out of him. For some reason, as she thought over that, she realized she would slightly miss speaking with him. He may be the enemy but he was also extremely intriguing. Nevertheless, she hardened herself, because she could not fail.

"Scared?" She heard from behind her and nearly jumped out of her skin.

Whipping around she sent a murderous glare towards the highly amused Steve, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to offer moral support." Steve explained, "You told me he scared you a little so I figured you'd want a friend nearby, in case something happened."

Her irritation dissipating, Shiloh couldn't help but smile, "Thanks, I guess"

"No problem, we're a team, remember?"

She did remember and as she opened the door and approached Loki, she couldn't fight the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Bile threatened to rise to her throat as she stared at the Asgardian and put on a coy smile. He returned to gesture.

"Good evening, Shiloh."

With each passing minute that was spent with him, Shiloh knew.

She was betraying her team. She was betraying Steve.


	7. Chapter Six

_Leave Out All the Rest – Linkin Park_

**Chapter Six**

"Any luck?" Shiloh entered Dr. Banner's lab stood in near the two scientists, watching them work.

"Finding the Tesseract? None. Hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D? Almost there." Her head snapped toward the direction of Tony. Sure enough, he was standing in front of a computer that was pulling up several classified files.

"Have you lost your mind?" She nearly screeched, "You have no authority to do this."

"All the more reason to do it, sweet cheeks," Tony smirked, "Besides, you know you're dying to know all of S.H.I.E.L.D's dirty little secrets. Especially about why they want the Tesseract so badly."

"They're using it for sustainable energy, everyone knows that." Except, even she didn't believe her answer.

"Tony's been in the clean energy business for about a year, why wouldn't they call him in, if that were the case?" Bruce suggested. Shiloh shook her head. Had her father been lying to her the entire time?

Walking closer to the computer, her eyes watched as file after file was cracked. There were so many secrets here; even she didn't know them all. And Tony had a point. They were all dying to know the secrets of the organization that had called on them to save the world.

Unable to continue looking at the screen, Shiloh turned to leave, only to run into Steve. The look on his face let her know that he had been listening. When their eyes met, there was a mutual need for answers, but they wouldn't find them there. Silently, Shiloh walked past him and hurried down the hall. Though she gave no gesture to follow, she knew Steve was right behind her.

Opening a door labeled 'Restricted Access,' Shiloh led Steve down several flights of stairs, into a large storage area.

"I don't even know what we're looking for." She looked at Steve, who was also at a loss.

"So we just look."

Separating in order to cover more area, they began to silently search the stacks of crates. As she pried open each box, Shiloh felt relief when she would only find uniforms. She thought the best of her father, and honestly didn't want anything to change that. Her father was Nick Fury, though. He hadn't spent the last eighteen years hiding her, but also hiding things _from _her. She was one of his dirty little secrets, and she was willingly going along with it.

Recalling Steve's words from the day before, she remembered how she felt when she spoke to Loki the final time. She had ripped into Tony, claiming that they were a team, but had been lying to them the entire time about who she really was. Though she never had any intention of joining Loki, she was still a traitor.

"Shiloh? Are you okay?" Her thoughts dissipated as she remembered she was supposed to be looking for S.H.I.E.L.D's secrets. Chuckling to herself, she realized she'd already found one a long time ago.

"I'm fine, I just…" Steve stopped his searching and walked over to Shiloh, wanting to hear what she had to say, "I want to tell you something."

There, now she needed to take the next step. She actually had to tell him.

"Okay, tell me." He was standing really close now, and Shiloh found that it had suddenly become very difficult to breathe. Nevertheless, he was here and he was listening.

"You were right, you know, when we talked yesterday. I haven't been completely honest with you guys, and it's because I haven't been totally loyal to you." She looked away to avoid his piercing gaze, "It's not that I don't want to be on this team, I really do. I fought so hard to be here, and I realize that some things are going to come to light, with S.H.I.E.L.D and all. So now is as good a time as any to come clean."

"Shiloh, you're rambling." Her eyes snapped back to his and she realized he was smiling, "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

She could? As she considered trusting Steve, the night before played out in her mind. He had come to make sure she was alright before she went into to interrogate Loki. He wished her luck and stood near the door the entire time, in case she needed him. When it was all over, and Loki stood somewhat put out that she wouldn't be back to see him, Steve had taken her hand and led her away from the hostile Asgardian. He'd walked her back to her room, and asked her once again if she was alright. She assured him many times that she was before he would finally leave. They'd said good night and she shut the door.

What she didn't know was that he'd waited until she was sound asleep, before he finally went back to his living quarters. Steve wanted her to trust him, because he saw in her the same kind of person he saw in Peggy Carter, seventy years ago. She was strong, defiant, and confident. It was a pretty good combination, in his opinion.

"The thing is Steve, Director Fury is…" She trailed off as her eyes caught sight of something behind him. As she made out what it was, disappointment flooded her, "Director Fury is not who I thought he was."

Steve turned to see what she was looking at and his eyes landed on a box with the word 'Tessaract.' Walking over to it, he pried it open to reveal a crate full of guns specialized to harness the power of the cube. Pulling one out, he turned back to Shiloh only to see her storming off towards the entrance.

"Shiloh, wait!" He took the gun and hurried after her.

Shiloh ignored Steve's cries as she headed towards Dr. Banner's lab. As she walked, she could her someone yelling. Upon listening closely, she realized it was Loki.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter, Tugenov, the hospital fire? Yes, Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away! No, I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And when he wakes, he'll have just enough time to see the work he's done, and when he screams, I'll break his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

There was a deafening silence after the last word, just as Shiloh entered into Dr. Banner's lab. Tony gave her thumbs up and she realized he had successfully hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D's systems. She was about to speak with Natasha, Thor, and her father walked in, both on the defensive.

"Dr. Banner, we think you should take a break." Natasha suggested, but Bruce shook his head. Shiloh could see him becoming increasingly more irritated as the minutes passed.

"Just let the guy blow off some steam, jeez." Tony interjected.

"You know well he can't do that," Steve had entered the room and had taken on a defensive stance.

Natasha made another plea for the Doctor, but he ignored her, instead looking at her father, "What exactly is Phase Two, Director Fury?"

As she predicted, Fury made no attempt to answer. She wasn't going to stand there and let him lie, but before she could speak, Steve laid the gun they found on the table.

"Phase Two is all about using the Tesseract to make weapons! I thought you brought us together to save the world, not bring you a weapon!" All eyes were on Fury now, as he angrily pointed at Thor.

"Phase Two wasn't about you. It was about him."

"Me?"

"When the arrival of a visitor from another world confirmed that we are not alone in this universe, people got worried." Fury explained to everyone in the room.

"Our race means no harm, only peace! " Thor argued but Fury shook his head.

"But you're not the ONLY race in the universe!"

The room erupted into argument as everyone tried to justify the use of the Tesseract as a weapon. Feeling a headache coming on, Shiloh leaned against a table and looked over at Steve who was arguing with Tony and then to her father who was eyeing Dr. Banner with fear. Silence fell over the room when they realized Dr. Banner was holding Loki's scepter.

"Dr. Banner, put down the scepter." Fury's voice pierced the silence as Bruce snapped out of whatever trance he had been in and looked down at the weapon in his hand.

"Sorry kids, I guess you don't get to see my party trick today." He moved to walk past them just as the computer began to beep, indicating that the Tesseract had been found.

"We found it?" Shiloh barely had time to form the words as an explosion rocked the entire Helicarrier.

Falling to the ground, Shiloh let out a gasp of pain as her head hit the hard floor. Slightly dizzy, she tried to stand but only succeeded in nearly falling again. This time, Fury caught her.

"Shiloh? Look at me, Shi. Are you okay?" There was another explosion that sent Bruce and Natasha through the floor and separated Shiloh from her father.

"DAD!"

Every Avenger within hearing distance froze as that one simple word cut through the air followed by the roar of the unleashed Hulk.


	8. Chapter Seven

_Lights (Bassnectar Remix) – Ellie Goulding _

**Chapter Seven**

"Did you just say Dad?!" Tony demanded as Shiloh rushed to her father's side and helped him up. After making sure he was alright, she turned to Stark.

"Surprise!"

"We don't have time for this, we have an engine down and if another gets blown, we're going down. Stark, can you handle it?" Fury ordered and Tony nodded, "Rogers, go with him."

Tony and Steve nodded, as they moved past Shiloh and Fury, she purposely avoided the gaze of Steve. She had wanted to tell him, but not this way. However, what was done was done. They had other issues to focus on, like the Hulk.

Hearing the roar of the creature, Shiloh moved towards the hole in the floor Natasha and Bruce had fallen through, "I'm going down there."

She expected her father to argue, but when he didn't, she knew why. They were in a desperate situation and desperate time called for desperate measures.

"Be careful."

Dropping through the hole, Shiloh landed on a pile of debris. Not too far, she could hear the sound of a rampage going on. Fear shot through her at the thought of facing the green monster, but she swallowed it and ran towards the sound.

"Natasha! Natasha, answer me!" She called out as she searched through the darkness, "Natasha!"

"Shiloh, look out!" The warning came just in time for Shiloh to evade being slammed by the Hulk. Sliding backwards, she regained her balance and looked up at the beast. Her eyes widened when they met his and he let out a roar as he began to near her.

"Natasha, get out of here! Now!" The redhead didn't have to be told twice and quickly disappeared, leaving Shiloh alone with Dr. Banner.

She considered trying to reason with him, but knew it wouldn't work. He couldn't hear her, not when he was in this form. Closing her eyes to focus, she knew fighting was the only way she was going to get out of this. Feeling the tendrils of her power reawakening, Shiloh's eyes snapped open. Sensing the imminent threat, the Hulk rushed her.

With a roar, he made to strike her. For a moment, time seemed to stop completely.

There was a loud crash as the Hulk flew through the wall. Landing in the middle of a hangar, he roared in rage as Shiloh stepped through the hole he had created, one hand held out in front of her.

"Is that all you got?"

The Hulk raged towards her and she quickly sidestepped to avoid his rampage. Focusing her energy, she sent a strong uppercut towards his jaw, intensifying it with her white fire. The Hulk was knocked backwards due to the blow but quickly countered with one of his own.

Shiloh gasped as she was swiped into one of the jets, encasing herself in energy to soften the blow. Groaning, and the dizziness returning, Shiloh got back onto her feet but didn't move quickly to avoid another hit. She slammed into the ground and rolled away to avoid a third blow.

"Crap, this sucks." Not willing to be beaten, Shiloh called upon more energy. Her body took on an ethereal glow as she stood back up.

Now able to match the Hulk, blow for blow, Shiloh ran and leaped into the air. Somersaulting, she grabbed the shoulders of Dr. Banner and slammed him through the floor. He let out a groan of his own as he looked up at the girl, whose eyes were now white and glowing, like the rest of her body.

His hand shot up and grabbed her leg, pulling her down to where he was. He couldn't maintain his grip, as the energy surrounding her was too hot to hold onto. Letting go, he brought both his fists down, but Shiloh dodged him and sent another energy blast into his stomach.

"Shiloh!" Fury's voice caught her attention, "You two are going to destroy this Helicarrier from the inside out. Either you leave, or he does."

"Yes sir," Shiloh affirmed as Dr. Banner rushed her once again. Shiloh moved at the last minute and the Hulk went stumbling through a window, where a jet was waiting.

Hiding behind a wall, Shiloh watched as the jet shot at Dr. Banner until he leapt onto it and forced it to retreat. Everything faded as she watched the pilot eject from the plan, and the Hulk falling to the ground below. Closing her eyes, she prayed that he would be alright.

* * *

When Fury heard the news of the Hulk no longer being on the Helicarrier, he immediately checked in on his daughter.

"She's alright, sir. She's pretty shaken, but alright." It was probably the best news he'd heard all day.

* * *

Shiloh raced down the hall towards the containment area. This entire situation was Loki's doing, and she had to stop him from escaping.

"Loki!" She burst into the holding cell and froze at the sight of the freed Asgardian.

He grinned wickedly at her, "Have you come to join me now?"

"No, no I haven't. I came here to stop you." Her body began to glow as she prepared to face off against the god of mischief.

"Ah, the power I have come to covet," He slowly walked towards her and held out his scepter, "I did say that you would come with me, one way or the other."

Shiloh moved to attacked but froze in place when Loki placed the tip of the scepter on her heart. Lowering her hands, she stood in silence as Loki walked over to the control panel. Thor, who was trapped inside of his holding cell, screamed for him to stop.

"The humans think us to be immortal," He began to disengage the system, "Shall we test that theory?"

"Stop!" Both Asgardians turned to see Phil standing in the doorway with a large weapon. When he saw Shiloh, his heart sank, "Let her go."

"I think not, she will prove to be rather useful to me." Loki made to approach Phil but stopped when he held up the gun.

"You like this? It's still in the development phases. Even I don't know what it does." He placed his finger on the trigger just as a shooting pain erupted in his back. Gasping, he looked down at the sight of Loki's scepter sticking out of him. When Loki pulled his scepter out, Phil fell forward and hit the wall.

"Now that we're done with that," Loki walked back over the control panel and finished unlocking the holding mechanism, "Goodbye, Thor."

Thor yelled as the cell was unlocked and fell from the Helicarrier. Loki, satisfied with his work, walked over to where Shiloh stood, her blue eyes glazed over. Unable to resist, he placed a hand on his cheek and turned her face towards his.

"Shall we go, darling?" She nodded and turned to follow him.

"You're gonna lose." It was Phil.

"Am I?"

"It's in your nature." Loki chuckled at this.

"Your heroes are scattered, your fortress falls from the sky, and your greatest weapon now belongs to me. Where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction."

"I don't think I…"

Phil fired a blast from the gun, sending Loki through the wall, "So that's what it does."

* * *

When Fury found Phil later, he pleaded for his friend to stay awake. Phil apologized though, and let him know that Shiloh had been taken by Loki. Upon hearing this, Fury fell silent as rage and sadness warred within him.

"It's okay boss," Phil said, "Without this, they wouldn't have anything…"

The medics arrived just in time to call Phil's death. Fury left the scene and walked back to the mission briefing area. Tony and Steve stood with Maria, all of whom were devastated.

"He has killed one of my best men," Fury breathed, "And he has taken my daughter."

Steve's heart stopped at the second revelation. Loki had Shiloh. He now had control of her and her immense power. He had seen the damage their fight had caused and knew Loki would not hesitate to use her against them. But it wasn't her power he was worried about, it was her.

"Why did you keep her a secret from us? If we had known who she was in the beginning, maybe we could have stopped this." He argued but Fury shook his head.

"Knowing who really was wouldn't change what she could do. I didn't want her to fight, not because she is my daughter, but because I knew something like this could happen."

"Then why let her fight anyway?"

Fury couldn't help but smile sadly, "She is her father's daughter."

With that, he walked away, leaving Tony and Steve to themselves. There was no way around it, they had to defeat Loki. Not just to free Shiloh, but also to avenge Coulson's death. But finding Shiloh would also mean that they would have to fight her. She was strong, but not invincible, Steve knew. Yet, he couldn't stomach the idea of facing off against her.

"So what do we do now?" Tony asked, and Steve stood.

"We need a plan," Steve began as he walked away from briefing area, Tony right behind him.

"Well, we need to figure out where Loki is going to strike next." They turned a corner and entered a small room in the sick bay where Natasha and recently freed Clint Barton were.

"Any ideas?"

"Isn't it obvious by now? He didn't take Shiloh just because of her power. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. Using her would just increase the humiliation factor." Tony explained.

"Right, I caught his act at Stuttengard." Steve mused, remembering Loki's tirade in Germany and how he had first shown interest in Shiloh there.

"Yeah. That's just a preview, this will be opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered... that's it!"

Next stop: Stark Tower.

As the team suited up, Steve braced himself for what was to come. If anyone was going to fight Shiloh, it would be him. During their meeting with Fury, it dawned on him that she had tried to tell him the truth earlier that day. She was trying to be the exact opposite of who her father said she was.

She wasn't Fury's daughter. She was Shiloh. And he was going to do everything he could to get her back.

"Stars and Stripes, let's go!"


	9. Chapter Eight

_Right Here - Staind_

**Chapter Eight**

_Thunder rumbled and the house became alight as lightning flashed through the windows. Nick Fury was leaving his study and headed to his bedroom when he heard a soft whimper. Stopping, he listened closely and as the thunder rolled again, the whimper was more audible. Softly, he walked over to a door and gently opened it. _

"_Shi?" He peered inside and his eye softened at the sight._

_A five year old Shiloh was sitting up in bed, clutching a teddy bear and shaking. Knowing she was afraid, he opened the door all the way so she could see him. When her frightened eyes met his, he beckoned her to come to him. A loud crash of thunder sent the girl sprinting from her bed and into his arms._

"_Daddy, I'm scared!" She sobbed into his shoulder once he had picked her up and held her close._

"_It's alright, Shiloh. Daddy's here," He whispered and her crying slowly ceased, "Daddy's here."_

"_Don't leave me Daddy, please." She pleaded with him and held him tighter._

"_I won't ever leave you, I promise."_

Opening his eyes to dispel the memory, Fury watched as the unauthorized Quinjet took off from the Helicarrier, taking the Avengers to wherever Loki was. Shiloh would be there too, he knew. They would save her. They would save his little girl.

"Sir," Maria walked up to him, "The Council is on the phone."

* * *

Loki couldn't help but admire his good work. Shiloh stood before him, no longer in her S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. Instead she wore Asgardian armor, much like Lady Sif's. Only her armor was made of white gold. She was truly a magnificent sight, and Loki grinned in satisfaction as her blue eyes met his.

She would make a fine Queen.

"I'm going to conquer this planet of yours, my darling, and you're going to help me." He crooned.

"Yes," She replied.

A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he neared her and like he had earlier, he turned her head so that she was facing him, "And then I will make you my queen, Shiloh. You and your power will be all mine forever."

"Yes."

* * *

When they crash landed in New York, Steve prepared himself for the worst. Tony had gone off to find Loki, to 'threaten him' while the rest of them looked for a way to stop the coming invasion.

It made him sick to just stand there and wait, but what else could he do? They were playing on Loki's turf now, and the only way to take him down was to beat him at his own game. And they had to get Shiloh back.

"Tony!" Natasha cried from beside him and Steve looked up to see Tony falling from Stark Tower. His heart stopped for a few seconds until Tony was encased in his Iron Man suit and avoided hitting the ground.

Above Stark Tower, there was a loud booming noise as a bright beam of light shot into the sky. Without speaking, all the Avengers acknowledged what it was.

The invasion had begun.

As a giant hole in the sky began to form, dozens and dozens of alien soldiers began to poor through. All around them, people began to run and scream as the aliens descended and began to attack.

"My God…" Steve breathed.

"Cap, what's the plan?" Tony asked through their communication link.

"Right now, we get all the civilians out and fight those things until we find a way to close that portal." Steve told everyone.

"Has Banner gotten there yet?" Steve frowned at Tony's question. If there was ever a time they needed the Hulk, it was now.

"No. Thor isn't here either."

"Well keep an eye out."

As the heroes began ushering terrified civilians towards safety, a deafening roar filled their ears. Looking up, Steve's mouth went dry at the sight of a large Leviathan-like creature coming through the portal. He barely heard Tony let him know that he would handle the creature as it began to wreak havoc throughout the city.

Swallowing, Steve refocused on the fight that was in front of him. Natasha and Hawkeye stood near him as they battled several Chitauri invaders and helped several civilians. It wasn't long before they began to get overwhelmed and Steve felt as though he were backed into a corner.

A streak of lightning erupted in front of them and blasted away several aliens as Thor landed in front of them. Steve had never been so happy to see the Asgardian as he was in that moment. With some time, Steve hurried over to Thor, Natasha and Hawkeye behind him.

Steve was about say something when a shout stopped him. The group turned to see Bruce riding towards them on a motorbike. Everyone couldn't help but grin as he stopped in front of them.

"I'm here to help," He announced.

"Are you sure about that Doctor?" Natasha asked, wary from her earlier experience with the Hulk.

"As sure as ever," Bruce affirmed.

Steve nodded and let Tony know that Bruce had arrived.

"Great, I'm bringing the party to you." Was his response as he flew around a corner towards them, with the Leviathan right behind him.

"I don't see how that's a party." Natasha frowned.

"Dr. Banner? Now would be a good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Captain," Bruce grinned, "I'm always angry."

The Avengers watched as Bruce took a few steps forward before becoming the Hulk. With a roar, he smashed his fist into the head of the creature, effectively destroying it. Tony blasted the Leviathan to pieces to avoid being crushed. Once the creature was destroyed, the Avengers reassembled in front of Steve.

"Call it Captain."

"All right, listen up! Until we can close that portal up there, what we need is containment. Barton: I want you on that roof, eyes on everything." Call out patterns and strays." He turned to Tony, "Stark: you've got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash." Looking at Thor, "Thor: you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You've got the lightning - light the bastards up!"

"What about us?" Natasha asked and Steve looked at her and Bruce.

"You and me: we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk: smash!"

As the group separated to do their duties, Steve stopped and spoke solemnly into his link, "If you encounter Shiloh, do not take her on alone. She's powerful and Loki knows that, he'll make sure she kills you. I repeat: call for backup if you find her."

Standing with Natasha, Steve prepared himself for the battle as it raged on around him. They would find Shiloh, but right now, he had to focus on the task at hand.

They had a city to save.

* * *

Shiloh stood atop the Empire State building, looking at all the chaos through glazed blue eyes. Though her expression was stoic, deep within her a battle was raging. Groaning, she placed a hand on her head as it began to throb, as though something was trying to get out.

"Shiloh," She heard in her mind and recognized it as her master's voice, "Go and fight, win this war for me."

"Yes."

Stepping to the edge of the building, Shiloh looked down to see the Chitauri running amok throughout the city, conquering it for her master. With no other desire than to obey, she stepped off the edge of the building and plummeted to the ground. Just before she could hit the pavement, her hands shot out and a pillar of white fire engulfed her, slowing her fall and delivering her to safety.

Scanning her surroundings, she began to walk through the streets, blasting cars and buildings into smithereens. White fire trailed her as she walked, her hair billowing in the wind. Rounding a corner, she came upon a few Chitauri fighters surrounding a group of terrified civilians. Just as the fighters began to shoot, the crowd fled into a nearby building.

Except for a little boy.

The child cowered in fear as the Chitauri approached him, intent on killing him. Backing into a corner, the little boy put his hands over his head and waited for death to come. At the sight, something in Shiloh clicked and she raced towards him. Just as the fighter brought down his weapon to deliver the killing blow, it was blasted away by white fire. The others turned to look at her and she sent a wall of her power surging towards them, destroying them.

Once the little boy was safe, he ran to the building where a woman had come back out to get home. As they escaped to safety, Shiloh placed her hand back on her forehead. The pain had increased and she couldn't figure out why she had saved the boy. It was her master's will for everyone to die, so why had she betrayed him.

"Shiloh!" Turning around, Shiloh's eyes met those of Captain America.

She would carry out her master's will; she would not spare anyone else. With this resolve, her body took on its ethereal glow as her power surged through her. Her eyes were wide and sightless as she faced down Captain America, intent on killing him.

"Shiloh, listen to me, whatever Loki has told you, he is a liar." His voice was soft and gentle; it was so different from Loki's, "You don't have to be under his control, you can fight this."

"It is my master's will to conquer this world, I must do his will."

"No you don't! Shiloh, please listen to me! You don't do anyone's will; you don't even listen to your dad! Loki isn't meant to control you. You're stronger than this, and I know you can fight it."

Shiloh held a hand out in front of her, preparing to attack. Captain America did not seem to be afraid, though. She watched in confusion as he moved toward her, not away from her. Nearing her, he placed his shield on the ground and held his hands up.

"I don't want to fight you," He said, "I want to help you."

When he was only a few feet away from her, Shiloh heard her master's voice speaking harshly in her mind. He was ordering her to attack, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I saw you save that little boy, that's the Shiloh I know. That's who you are."

"My master has told me to kill you, Captain. I must obey." She moved to send a blast directly at his chest but he lurched forward and grabbed her arm, redirecting the fire into a building. With a cry, Shiloh pulled away from him and fired off several more blasts of energy. He dodged each one.

"Fight it Shiloh! Remember how you felt every time you would talk to Loki? You didn't like it, Shiloh. He made you sick!"

"He is my king!"

"He's the _enemy, _and you know that! Deep down, you know who and what he really is! Fight his control, Shiloh!"

The throbbing in her head grew exponentially worse as her vision began to fade. It was then Shiloh realized why she was in pain. Her conscience knew it was being controlled and was fighting to be free. Tears flooded her eyes as she stumbled backwards and fell to her knees. Sobbing, she willed the pain to go away. The ground around her began to disintegrate as she focused all her energy on one blast that would rid her of Loki's control. Managing to stand, Shiloh lifted a hand to the sky and allowed herself to be engulfed in pure light energy.

Captain America watched in awe as the power shot into the sky, creating a massive beam of light. He had to cover his eyes with his shield in to keep from going blind.

Her energy depleted, the light around Shiloh slowly faded away. Once it was gone, she took a hesitant step forward before losing her balance. Expecting to hit the ground, she sighed in relief when someone caught her. Looking up, she met the blue eyes of Steve.

"Shi?" He asked hesitantly.

"When all this is over, I want a nap." He grinned and she couldn't help but return the gesture.


	10. Chapter Nine

_Hero – Chad Kroeger ft. Josey Scott_

**Chapter Nine**

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Shiloh gasped as she sent a powerful blast of energy toward a squadron of soldiers. Steve, who had just returned from saving a bank full of civilians, threw his shield at a soldier that was trying to sneak up on her. She mouthed a thank you to him.

"You're gonna have to hold on, until the portal is closed."

"Natasha needs to hurry it up then!" Shiloh shouted, making sure the Black Widow could hear her through the communication link.

Shiloh and Steve stayed back to back as they fought off several dozen Chitauri soldiers. Natasha had gone off to find a way to close the portal, as the battle started to take a toll on all of them. Thor and Dr. Banner were barely holding their own, and Shiloh was also beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. Her power was quickly exhausting her and she was barely able to retain a shield around her and Steve for protection.

"I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can close the portal!" It was the best new they had heard all day.

"Do it, now." Steve ordered but was interrupted by Tony.

"Wait, I've got a nuke coming in, and I know just where to put it." He zoomed past them and Shiloh felt her mouth grow dry when she realized what he was doing.

"Stark, you know that's a one way trip." Steve's voice was solemn but he had no plans to stop Stark.

They watched as Tony disappeared through the portal, followed by the sound of a massive explosion. Shiloh looked away, unwilling to acknowledge that she had just lost a comrade. Beside her, Steve gave the orders for the portal to be closed. Though she fought against it, tears threatened to fall when she heard Steve breathe a sigh of relief.

"Son of a gun," Cautiously, she looked up to the sky and happiness welled in her when she saw Tony falling to the earth. He made it!

"He's not slowing down," Thor pointed out as he began to spin his hammer in order to catch Tony. The Hulk beat him to it, as he leapt into the air and brought Tony relatively safely to the ground.

Opening his mask, Shiloh silently urged Tony to wake up. They had come too far for him to die now. Hulk seemed to share the same sentiment as he took a step toward Tony and roared, startling the man awake.

"What? What's going on, please tell me nobody kissed me."

"It's over, Tony. We won." Steve informed him.

"Oh? Well that's great you guys. Hey, let's not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day." Tony rambled on and on as Thor helped him up off the ground.

"So what now?" Shiloh asked, looking to Steve, their new leader.

"Loki."

* * *

It was over, Shiloh thought, as she stood before Loki. He was currently in a newer and stronger holding cell, waiting to be escorted back to Asgard the following morning. He had a high-tech muzzle on, so he could not speak, though Shiloh wished he could. She wondered what he would say.

"I guess you're the silent one now, though not by choice." She couldn't help but chuckle at the irony, "I remember everything, though."

The removal of Loki's control didn't take away the memories of being under his spell. She remembered his words, his orders, and his touch. Closing her eyes, she remembered him telling her that she would be his queen. It was a scary thought, but she had so readily agreed to it. Somehow, she didn't think mind control was fully to blame for that.

"You've got so many issues to work out, Loki, and I hope you manage to do that. It would be a shame if you died like this: lonely, jealous, and bitter." She knew her words were harsh, but he had made a human puppet out of her. He deserved it.

"I guess this is goodbye, then. I will miss our late-night chats, even though they were short-lived." With one last look, she turned on her heel to leave, only to stop when she heard a loud bang on the glass.

Looking back, her eyes met his as he seemed to silently vow something. This wasn't over; she could practically hear him say it. It sent chills down her spine, but she would not give him any sort of satisfaction. So she turned and kept walking away.

Out in the hall, she found Steve leaning against the wall, waiting on her. He gave her a warm smile and she returned the gesture.

"I heard you had a meeting with my father this morning. What was it about?" She inquired as they walked down the hall of the Helicarrier towards the briefing area.

"Well, there's a member of S.H.I.E.L.D that proved to be very valuable in fighting Loki, and I wanted to make her an official part of the Avengers." Shiloh's mouth dropped open at this, "Fury said yes."

Laughter erupted from her as she stopped and threw her arms around Steve's neck. This was it. She was finally getting her chance to use her powers for something good. She had finally proved to her father that she didn't need to be hidden away anymore. The world needed her; it needed them, the Avengers.

"I also had asked him for advice on another matter," She noticed a small blush creeping on his cheeks, "This one a little more pressing."

"Well?" Her curiosity piqued.

"After we take care of Loki, I was wondering if you'd like…to get coffee with me?"

A shy smile graced Shiloh's features as she nodded, "I'd like that."

Steve offered his hand, and Shiloh slowly took it, letting their fingers intertwine before resuming their walk down the hall.

* * *

The next day, the Avengers reassembled one last time as they watched Thor escort Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard, both men disappearing in a brilliant flash of light. Once they were gone, everyone exchanged their goodbyes before going their separate ways. Bruce and Stark departed together, as did Clint and Natasha. Shiloh joined Steve, grabbing the helmet he offered her and climbing on the back of his bike.

Up in the sky, Fury watched as the Avengers disassembled while the Council looked on. He made it clear to them that he would track neither them nor their whereabouts. They would come back, he knew because they would need them to. Until then, he would let the Avengers go.

Including his daughter.

She had proved to be a valuable asset to the team, and thus, he had allowed her to join permanently. This meant that she would no longer be under his constant supervision. She was free to come and go as she pleased, and would no longer live in the S.H.I.E.L.D facility, having chosen to reside in Stark tower, since Tony had invited her to do so.

He'd even replaced her Mustang, so she could drive herself around.

It was hard letting her go, and it was even harder knowing that the Captain had expressed romantic interest in her. He had been amused when the man had asked him for his permission to take his daughter out on a date. She was capable of taking care of herself, though, so he agreed. It was time to let her grow up. She wasn't going to stay little forever.

Yet, she would always be daddy's little girl. His little ball of light.

"Sir, are you ready to go?" Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked over at Maria, who was wearing a simple black dress.

They had a funeral to get to.

"Let's go, Lieutenant."


	11. Epilogue

_Skyfall – Adele _

**Epilogue**

Silence reigned as each Avenger stood before the casket. There were no tears, no emotional outbursts, all that was deemed unnecessary. Instead, quiet respect was felt among them. It had been Phil Coulson that ultimately brought them together. Without his sacrifice, the world would not have been saved.

"Steve?"

The whisper was barely audible but for the leader of the team, it was as though she had screamed. With a heavy heart, he removed a stack of bloodstained trading cards. His signature graced each one of them.

They began to depart one by one as he placed the cards inside the casket, where Coulson lay. One more moment of silence passed before a hand slipped itself into his and began to lead him away.

"It may feel like the end, I know." Fury spoke later, "But Coulson didn't see it that way. Instead, he saw it as the beginning. Don't ever forget that."

* * *

"Humans... They are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly, and therefore cannot be ruled. To challenge them is to court death."

Thanos grinned wickedly, if this would be a challenge:

Then let the games begin.


	12. Note from the Author

_To my readers,_

_Well, we've reached the end of the first part of Shiloh's story. I know it was really short, but her character had to be introduced before we could get to the fun stuff. I'm currently working on the sequel and it will be posted soon. I hope you stick around for it. _

_I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed me and this story. Your feedback is very much appreciated and keeps me going. I always like to have a fan base, no matter the size. You guys are special to me. So once again, thank you. _

_The title of the sequel is Total Blackout, so be on the lookout for it! _

_Until then,_

_As the Rush Comes_


End file.
